A slow-cooked whole spice lamb preparation with a pale, slightly thick yogurt-based gravy — the Mughal-Deccani hybrid preparation of Aurangabad, the city of the Bibi Ka Maqbara. Lighter in colour than the darker Hyderabadi preparations, with a strong whole-spice aromatic character.
Ingredients
700 g lamb — bone-in pieces
1 cup yogurt + 1 tbsp ginger paste + 1 tbsp garlic paste + 1/2 tsp turmeric + salt — for marinating
4 tbsp ghee
4 green cardamom, 4 cloves, 2 black cardamom, 1 inch mace blade, 1 inch cinnamon, 2 bay leaf
2 onions — finely sliced
1 tbsp ginger paste, 1 tbsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp white pepper powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg — freshly grated
1/4 tsp mace powder
1 cup water, salt
1 tsp kewra water (screwpine essence) for finishing
fried onion and fresh coriander for garnish
Method
Marinate the lamb: Mix lamb with yogurt, ginger, garlic, turmeric and salt. Marinate 3 hours.
Heat ghee: Heat 4 tbsp ghee in a heavy pot on medium-high. Ghee only — not oil.
Add whole spices: Add both types of cardamom, cloves, mace blade, cinnamon and bay leaves. The fragrance of warm spices blooming in ghee is the signature opening of this preparation.
Cook onions until pale golden: Add sliced onions. Cook 10 minutes until soft and pale golden — not dark. The qalia is lighter in colour than kosha mangsho.
Add ginger and garlic: Cook 2 minutes.
Add marinated lamb: Add lamb with all marinade. Stir to coat.
Cook the yogurt down: Cook on medium-high heat stirring every 2 minutes for 10 minutes as the yogurt reduces and the lamb begins to colour.
Add white pepper, nutmeg and mace powder: Add white pepper, freshly grated nutmeg and mace powder. These three spices define the Aurangabad qalia character.
Add water and salt: Add 1 cup water and salt. Cover tightly. Reduce to lowest heat. Cook 55 to 60 minutes until lamb is completely tender.
Finish: Add kewra water. Stir gently. Garnish with fried onion and coriander. Serve with naan or steamed rice.
Note: Aurangabad was the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb's chosen capital during his long tenure in the Deccan — creating a city where Mughal court cooking met Deccani spice traditions. The qalia (a slow-cooked pale meat preparation in yogurt) is a preparation from the Mughal culinary repertoire that was absorbed into Aurangabad's food culture. The Bibi Ka Maqbara (Aurangzeb's Taj Mahal for his wife) and the Ajanta-Ellora caves bring pilgrims and tourists who encounter this Mughal-Deccani food tradition.